I have to disagree with you, just because you invested $500 without doing any research at all, doesn't mean is someone else's fault you lost it. You must ALWAYS do your homework before investing. I have made money and I have plenty of friends who have made money following Vincent Briatore's advice. You need to understand you can't buy during the hype and panic sell in red.

Do your homework next time and if you mess up, don't blame others.